Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1887-07-07
Johns ears, followed by chorus of ex-

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carnations.
''That fool Bilsom has shot somebody
for a thousand" cried the baronet, as he
in the direction of the noise. When he
arrived at the spot terrible sight met
his eyes. Stretched on the ground in
the center of knot of sympathizers lay
his son Jack. Mr.. Bilsom supported his
head and was administering brandy from
a pocket flask, while Mr.. Bingo stood
close by in an attitude which betokened
profound grief and centrition.
''Jack!" screamed the baronet in ter
ror. "What's the matter-is he dead?"
"No, my dear Sir john" replied Mr..
Bilsom, "only somewhat seriously hit
about the legs; but I hope there is no
danger"
''What do you know about its" yelled
Sir John. s'Who shot him."
81 did, Sir john" said Mr.. Bengo,
stepping forward. II am terribly sorry,
but he moved forward from his place, and
I didn't know"
"Know, indeed, you Internal jacka-
napes I should think you knew more
about yard measures than guns. Get out
of my sight sir! Get out of the place.
Confound you sir; never let me set eyes
on you again.
And Sir John stamped and raved like
a mailman. Seeing that argument was
useless, Mr.. Bengo disappeared, and the
wounded sportsman was carried home
attended by his father, who alternately
bemoaned the accident and cursen tn g
unlucky cause of it with strange and
FIJI he fn IoJ n
as Mr.. Bilsom reiterated his assurances
that no danger was to be anticipated,
Sir John refrained for the time from
sending to town for an eminent surgeon.
But as the evening drew on Mr.. Town
ley became delirious, and Tom Bilsom,
with solemn face, summoned his father
to his bedside, saying that the case was
serious and that the poor fellow evident
ly had had something on his mind which
it was well Sir Ohm should hear.
''He is very feverish," said Mr.. Bilsom,
sand talks strangely in his delirium. At
intervals, however he is quite rational.
At the moment he was chattering six
breathless, to listen.
"What's he saying?" whispered the
baronet. 'ESomething abont $4,000 that
he owes-his poor father-disgrace to the
family-ruin and bankruptcy. Have you
ever heard anything of this before?"
"Well, Sir john" said Mr.. Bilsom, you
may as well know the truth now. Poor
Jack has certainly lost money lately; he
told nae only yesterday that he owed Mr..
Bengo several Thousand pounds, and it
seemed to prey upon his mind terribly.
I wished it did not, for, of course, mental
worry increases the fever and makes the
case positively critical"
"You don't say sol" grasped Sir John.
|'But e10,OO0-but how could he incur such
en- enormous debt?''
''The old story, my dear sir" replied
Mr.. Bilsom, feelingly. "One debt leads
to another. Jack told me in confidence
that he had signed number Of bills to
differ ent money lenders, and that Mr..
Bengo had bought them all up, and was
now his sole creditor. A dangerous man,
this Mr.. Bengo. very dangerous man."
And as Mr.. Bilsom impaired this in
formation in heartbroken whisper,
Jacks rawlings burst forth again with re-
doubled vehemence.
At that moment there was knock at
the door. Mr.. BiIsom went to open it.,
and was confronted by Mr.. Bottles, the
family butler.
II must speak to Sir John at once, SIR
said that functionary, in hoarse whisper.
"But you can't, my good man; he can
not attend to anything at present"
II must, sir,'' said Mr.. Bottles, with a
determined air. 1T don't care if he dis
charges me afterwards"
"What's the matter?" asked Sir John,
irritabIy.
"Might speak to you for q minute,
Sir John?"
"Certainly not, you stupid fool; can't
you see that am engaged with Mr.. Jack
Leave the room at once"
But Bottles did not move.
'It's about Mr.. Jack that want to see
you, Sir John; it's a conspiracy to rob
you, Sir john
"What is the idiot driving att" exclaim-
ed the tormented baronet. ga cons pi-
cyl"
Eyes, Sir John, barefaced swindle, y
and Mr.. Bottles stared very hard at Mr..
Bilsom, who somehow shrank from meet
ing his eye.
Growing curses below his breath, Sir
John left the room, and Mr.. Bilson at
once advanced to his patient and shook
him roughly.
IL d1 VI odCk, He whispered; 'lO
use shamming any longer"
But Jack, who had been quiet for a
few minutes, burst out again into wild
rawlings.
''Be quiet you idiot" repeated Mr..
Bilsom. "The games up, tell you. Bet
ter make clean breast of it.''
But he could not rouse his friend to a
sense of his position, and it suddenly oc-
CURED to him that Jack was really delir-
ious, and was not shamming at all. Just
as he arrived at this conclusion Sir ohm
entered the room with face as black as
thunder.
Mr.. Bilsom had always prided himself
on his presence of mind.
"My dear Sir john" he said, with a
face Of deep solemnity, this is terrible,
indeed. From your SOILS wild talk
gather that Mr.. Bengo shot him on pur-
pose, in order to induce you to pay his
debts
"Just exactly what Bottles has told
me-" replied the baronet, starting suspic-
iously at the doctor. "He overheard a
conversation between my unfortunate
son and Mr.. Bengo in the billiard-room